Gangnam Korean restaurant for octopus, bossam and noodles: Obongjip

When you want stir-fried octopus and bossam together in Samseong-dong

While looking for a good place to visit when I was craving spicy stir-fried octopus in Samseong-dong, I went to Obongjip Samseong Branch. Samseong-dong has lots of offices and such a wide variety of restaurants, so there are plenty of choices when you're looking for a good lunch or dinner spot. What I liked about Obongjip in particular was that I could enjoy stir-fried octopus and bossam (boiled pork wraps) at once. There was also a generous all-in-one set, so it seemed like a nice choice for both a meal and a get-together without having to order several dishes separately.

Obongjip Samseong Branch is located in an area frequented by Samseong-dong office workers, so it is fairly easy to get to for lunch. Restaurants cluster around the building, making it easy to come across while looking for somewhere to eat. Obongjip's distinctive sign out front catches your eye, so it wasn't hard to find even on a first visit.

A restaurant and menu made for sharing

Once inside, I found that there was more spacious seating than I had expected. When looking for good restaurants in Samseong-dong, you often end up needing somewhere suited to office dinners or gatherings, and Obongjip Samseong Branch had an atmosphere that worked well for a group to share different dishes. There are rice dishes like stir-fried octopus, and you can add bossam and makguksu (buckwheat noodles), too, so it seemed like a good place for days when you want more variety than just one dish.

What's in the Nakji Obongjip Special

The menu had a range of charcoal-grilled dishes, from charcoal-grilled stir-fried octopus to stir-fried squid and stir-fried pork. There were bossam dishes as well as platter makguksu and hot pots, so it was easy to choose depending on whether I was there for a meal or drinks. The Obongjip Special, which lets you try several dishes at once, stood out to me. I ordered the Nakji Obongjip Special because it comes with charcoal-grilled stir-fried octopus for two, bossam, and platter makguksu.

Charcoal-grilled stir-fried octopus with a gentle smoky aroma

After ordering, the table was filled with food, and it looked generous before I even started eating. The charcoal-grilled stir-fried octopus was naturally the first thing that caught my eye. It had big pieces of octopus coated well in red sauce, and the look alone whetted my appetite. With my first bite, it was spicy with a subtle smoky aroma characteristic of charcoal grilling.

It wasn't simply a stir-fried octopus dish with overpowering heat; the smoky aroma made it taste even better with rice. The octopus wasn't tough and had a pleasantly chewy texture, while the sauce went well with it, making me keep reaching for my chopsticks.

Mixed with rice

The stir-fried octopus was tasty on its own, but I especially liked it mixed with rice. The spicy sauce blended so well with the rice that I kept going back for bite after bite.

A full spread with bossam and makguksu

I also tried the bossam alongside the stir-fried octopus, and alternating between the spicy octopus and the mild bossam worked better than I expected. Since the stir-fried octopus was spicy and smoky, having bossam in between made each bite feel refreshed.

The bossam was good wrapped in leafy greens, and it also worked well with the stir-fried octopus.

With platter makguksu included as well, I liked being able to switch among different flavors instead of eating just one dish throughout the meal. The tangy makguksu paired well with both the spicy stir-fried octopus and mild bossam; especially after octopus, a bite of makguksu made my mouth feel refreshed. Choosing the menu can be a dilemma when ordering stir-fried octopus, bossam, and makguksu separately, so I liked that the Nakji Obongjip Special lets you have all three together. The portion was generous enough for a table spread, making it good for two people dining together, and it is a satisfying set for anyone who enjoys sharing small amounts of several dishes.

If you're looking for a generous Korean meal in Samseong-dong, try the Obongjip Special at Obongjip Samseong Branch.